Business student pushes academic boundaries
At the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, it’s common for students to pursue more than one major. To help students narrow their career focus, a new limit has been set on the number of programs students can pursue, holding them to a maximum of three majors, degrees, certificates, or minors.
Prior to the implementation of this structure, Ariel Blackford, a third-year student from Johnston, Iowa, utilized her resources to make the most of her time at Ivy.
Blackford is a triple-major student (marketing, management, and entrepreneurship) who is also pursuing a professional sales certificate.
“From my first appointment with Ariel, I could tell she was a very organized person,” said Rhaechel Ohge Fritz, academic advisor. “It’s not at all surprising to me to see her strategizing and pushing herself to get the most out of her education and professional experience while at Ivy. She will go far with the skills I’ve seen her develop since her first semester at Iowa State University!”
Alongside her robust academic commitment, Blackford has two part-time jobs. She is a human resources co-op at Weitz Construction in Des Moines and also works as a waitress at the Hyperion Field Club in Johnston.
Surprisingly, the extent of Blackford’s busy schedule doesn’t end there. She has her own graphic design business through RedBubble, an online marketplace, which features more than 200 original designs inspired by famous musicians, actors, and artists. She is close to completing her first book, which she plans to publish soon.
Blackford’s productivity in and out of the classroom has pushed the boundaries of what many might consider possible for a full-time college student. Her successful progression in the many facets of her life highlights not only her exceptional time management but also her relentless drive to grow personally and professionally.
Path to Iowa State
Like many students nearing the end of high school, Blackford was searching for direction. She knew furthering her education was the right next step, but had no idea where she wanted to go or what she wanted to study.
Blackford went through all the traditional processes and toured her fair share of universities, but felt that they all had the same “gloomy” nature. Despite the unpleasant experiences, she kept an open mind during her final scheduled tour at her mother’s and older sister’s alma mater, Iowa State.
“The biggest thing that stood out to me was how happy people were. I remember looking around and seeing people from all different backgrounds enjoying themselves here,” said Blackford. “Another big thing was how structurally beautiful the campus was. It has always been clear to me that Iowa State was designed with people in mind. The campus is not only gorgeous but highly functional as well.”
She immediately knew Iowa State was the place for her. Receiving her acceptance letter shortly after applying, Blackford was excited and eager for her collegiate journey to begin.
Academic pursuits
Blackford entered Iowa State pursuing an entrepreneurship degree with a minor in management.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find myself on this academic path,” said Blackford. “The funny thing about Iowa State, and part of what makes it such a great university, is that it shapes and molds you into this innovative and driven person. You can’t believe how much you have accomplished until you stop and look back.”
Part of what helped set the path for Blackford during the start of her time at Iowa State was getting involved with university activities early on.
“One of my friends told me about Delta Sigma Pi, one of the leading professional business fraternities on campus,” said Blackford. “I decided to join, and after being initiated, I was blown away by some of the leaders in the group.”
She found that many fellow members had double majors, which was something Blackford had never even considered before. Realizing that improving her academic pursuits could remedy the unfulfilled feeling she had, Blackford sought out Ohge Fritz, her academic advisor. Leaving Ohge Fritz’s office as a double major in marketing and management, with a minor in entrepreneurship, this moment paved the way for her academic future.
“Every day I wake up knowing I am building a strong future for myself – that I am exhausting my full potential, and that is immensely rewarding for me, knowing that I am trying my absolute best.”
— Ariel Blackford
Blackford started to view her pursuits as an internal game. Despite her already robust involvement on and off campus, she was constantly thinking of ways to better herself and get ahead of the curve.
“If anything, I liked the challenge. I liked that it made me work harder,” said Blackford. “It gave me this tremendous sense of purpose, like I was racing against myself to see how much I could accomplish in such a short period of time.”
Through Blackford’s continuous pursuit of further commitments, Ohge Fritz has been with her every step of the way, helping to make sure no aspiration is beyond reach.
“I have been to her office many times, and she has always been ready to support me with whatever I may need,” said Blackford. “Being an academic advisor is not easy, and she has been nothing but patient with me and extremely encouraging.”
Blackford’s utilization of Ivy’s resources has played a tremendous role in her success at Ivy and is a testament to the good that can come from taking advantage of what Iowa State has to offer.
Professional experience
“In 2024, I accepted a finance internship with Brian Gibson at CTI Ready Mix in Grimes, Iowa,” said Blackford. “This internship was extremely valuable to me. I learned so much valuable information about the industry, as well as learned how to balance my work life and school life.”
Blackford reflects on this internship and Gibson teaching her how to be both an excellent business professional and a great person. The lessons learned from her time at CTI Ready Mix put her in a perfect position for her future professional pursuits.
Currently, she is completing a human resources co-op with Weitz Construction in downtown Des Moines. Being the first large-scale enterprise she’s worked for, the position at Weitz has been eye-opening.
“This job has been extremely challenging yet overwhelmingly rewarding, even in the short time I have been here,” said Blackford. “The expectations are high, the team is top notch, and the work is challenging, but I love every second of it. It keeps me on my toes and pushes me to new lengths, making me a stronger and more knowledgeable professional.”
In addition to the co-op, Blackford works as a fine dining waitress at the Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, a position she has held for more than five years.
“This job has taught me more about life, relationships, and work ethic than any other opportunity I have experienced,” said Blackford. “This job has tremendously shaped my career goals. I have learned that I need a job with constant interaction and relationship building to succeed, and that is where sales come in. The foundation of sales is building lasting, genuine relationships, which is now something I value tremendously.”
With Blackford taking on these two professional commitments alongside her academics and club involvement, her schedule is incredibly busy, to say the least. She currently attends classes on campus two days a week, with the remainder of her course load being online. She spends another two days each week working at her co-op, and three days a week serving at the Hyperion Field Club.
“As you can imagine, this workload puts a lot of pressure on me, but it motivates me,” said Blackford. “Every day I wake up knowing I am building a strong future for myself – that I am exhausting my full potential, and that is immensely rewarding for me, knowing that I am trying my absolute best. These four years are meant for hard work, experimentation, and stress, and there is no shortage of any of those three.”
Managing her schedule is definitely a challenge, but Blackford has implemented key practices into her routine, helping her stay on top of her commitments.
“My biggest thing is organization,” said Blackford. “I have found that if I can get about two weeks ahead in all of my classes, then I am set. I never wait for deadlines; the key is to always be ahead. Then, when an emergency happens, say I get sick, my car has issues, I need to pick up a shift, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Another key element of Blackford being able to effectively manage her busy schedule is making time to rest and not neglecting basic needs. She prioritizes getting enough sleep each night, eating and drinking enough each week, and carving out time to simply hang out with friends and enjoy leisure activities.
“When things get tough, I think about the alternative – I could be doing nothing,” said Blackford. “I think about people who are stuck in hospitals, poor countries; I think about the women who don’t even get the chance to have an education, to work. If they had the same opportunity that I have in front of me, I know they would take it with zero hesitation. I do it for them. This life is too short to be boring. I will not live the same life that millions have already lived before me.”
Advice for fellow and future students
While college can be scary at times, Blackford has always lived by the standard that putting yourself out there and taking risks is always better than living with regret.
“Challenge yourself, do scary things that you wouldn’t dream of doing, take a risk, get out of your comfort zone, because before you know it, you’ll look back and realize that you are not the same person you were before. You will change and bloom into this confident, strong, creative, and bold person you never thought you could be, and that’s the magical part about Iowa State.”
Future plans
Blackford is on track to graduate in May 2026, and unlike her feelings coming out of high school, she has never been more optimistic and excited for what the future holds.
“I have been toying with the idea of graduate school, specifically getting my MBA in marketing,” said Blackford. “I’ve also entertained the idea of law school, as I have many influential lawyers in my life. There is also the option of searching for a full-time position, but something tells me that I am not ready to be done learning yet. I don’t think I have reached my full potential quite yet; it will be an exciting couple of years for sure. My goal would be to work in the music industry, either in the marketing or sales department. I would love to work for a record label, focusing on a select few artists’ brand campaigns. I would love to be in charge of what image we are selling to consumers, who we are selling it to, why we are selling it this way, when we are going to launch this promotion, how we are going to do it, etc. This job would combine all three of my majors, my certificate, as well as my own business, and that is the dream for me.”
No matter what the future holds for Blackford, her driven nature and impressive resume guarantee that she will find incredible success in whatever path she takes.
To connect with Ariel Blackford or follow her collegiate and professional journey, visit her LinkedIn profile.
